Program note

“... U-29 draws its inspiration from “The Temple” by H.P. Lovecraft, who is considered a pioneer in the horror genre in literature. The novel tells the story of a German submarine (the U-29) possessed by an unknown force after having allowed a foreign soldier to board with a unique figurine. The men lose control of their submarine, which is drawn slowly, inexorably, to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean toward a lost city where, at the end of the journey, there appears a temple. When reading the novel for the first time, I was especially captivated by its immersive, hypnotic, almost sluggish atmosphere, and by the accompanying threat of danger. In this piece, the synthesizer part represents the unknown force. I sought to create a cause and effect connection between the instrumental and electronic parts. Initially, they are mostly separate, intersecting briefly, then, after a kind of collapse and decisive turning point, the two fuse into a homorhythmic passage that culminates in the arrival at the destination and the symbolic exit of the instruments from the submarine to the Temple. I experimented with many aquatic-type gestures for the instruments that I felt were comparable to the idea of swimming: slow upward motion, rapid descents, and constant tempo changes. The synthesizer timbres respectively symbolize a deep, underwater atmosphere, a blinding light, and more mechanical soundscapes.

- Stephanie Moore